This invention relates to a rope control device, and more specifically to rope control device commonly known as a “brake bar” having a locking mechanism that prevents the bar from rotating unintentionally during use. The brake bar is a device utilized for controlling rope and, more particularly, to allow rope to be played out under control while under loads. Utilization of ropes are an essential part of a wide variety of activities related to health and safety, law enforcement, rescue, construction and recreation. In particular, the need often exists for a user to use a rope to control the movement of one object such as a load relative to another object such as an anchor point. Typically, but not necessarily, the anchor point is a fixed location on a structural number such a tree, building, or the like and the load is moved relative to the anchor point. However , the anchor point may be formed on a movable object and the load can take many different forms such as supplies, equipment, an injured person, or in the case of repelling, the person using the rope. The construction and use of general purpose rope rigging devices such as tackle blocks, belay devices, ascenders, carabiners, and pulleys are well known. In addition, numerous rigging devices have been developed specifically to facilitated the use of ropes to control movement of a load relative to an anchor point.
The present invention is directed to a class of devices known as a brake bar or rack generally known to comprise of an external frame formed by a U-shaped piece of metal that defines first and second legs and one or more cross-bars that can be pivoted about the first leg of the frame relative to the second leg of the frame. Previous brake bar configurations, in order to provide ample versatility of positioning and load amounts, have involved having several bars to allow the user to set up the rope system in whatever configuration was demanded of the situation. However, this requires that the device be large and cumbersome which could mean eliminating other necessary gear a rescuer could potentially be carrying in favor of having this device.
To address this problem there are brake bar devices that are available to reduce the size of weight by only having one central bar. The central bars of these devices generally lack a locking mechanism, relying upon the force of the rope to keep the bar in the engaged position. Another drawback of these devices is that the center bars tend to only be available to rotate in one direction when disengaging.
Consequently, a need exists for an improved brake bar device which addresses the drawbacks of prior brake bar designs which is a reduced in size and weight and provides for a locking mechanisms that prevents the center bar from rotating unintentionally during use.